Sensor devices are used in various applications to sense a physical quantity and to output a signal indicative of the sensed quantity. Examples of physical quantities which may be measured with sensor devices include magnetic field, current, temperature, mechanical stress, voltage or pressure, just to give a few examples.
For a specific type of a sensor device, usually operating conditions are specified under which this sensor device operates reliably. For example, a temperature range for normal operation may be given. Nevertheless, even if operated under the specified operating conditions, a lifetime may be specified for the sensors during which the sensor device is expected or guaranteed to operate reliably. When the lifetime is exceeded, reliable operation may no longer be guaranteed. Such reliable operation, on the other hand, is of particular importance for safety critical applications, for example in the automotive field.